Method of stream control



May13, 1924. 1 ,494,190

J. A. scHMpTTE METHOD or STREAM common Filed Nov. 11 1922 1 Fig.1,

mvmm'm a mcumum w mt? Patented May 13, 19234.

N l SA T E S JACOB A. SCHMUTTE, OF CORNING, MISSOURI.

METHOD OF STREAM CONTROL.

Application filed November 11, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB A. SGHMUTTE,

a citizen of the United States of America,

residing at the city of Corning, State of Missouri, United States of America, have invented a certain new and useful Method of Stream Control, of which the following is such a full, clear, and exact description as will enable any one skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to a novel method for forming, and changing and preserving the position of the main channels of streams, especially those which flow through soil of loose or sandy formation. Such streams, the Missouri River being an example, continuously change their locations and thus destroy much valuable adjoining property.

It is the object of my invention to prevent lateral cutting away of the banks of such streams and to so influence the contour of the beds of the streams as to cause the channels to be straightened and deepened by the natural currents.

In carrying out my method, I employ suitable mechanical means for agitating the water above an inclined portion of the bed, as for example,the inside of a bend or turn, the water agitating means being out of contact with the bed itself and being so constructed as to produce downward directed currents in the water. The currents will loosen the sand and silt of the bed and the loosened material will be acted upon both by gravity and the current of the stream and so be displaced both laterally and downwardly as to fill up adjacent deeper parts of the channel and thus reduce the current speed adjacent to the outside of the bend to a sutlicient degree to stop its action on the bank.

In the accompanying drawings which are diagrammatic in character, Fig. 1 illustrates a portion of a river bed in plan view, Fig. 2 a cross section of the same, and Fig. 3 one form of mechanical means for carrying out the invention.

4: indicates the bed of a stream, the cros section of which, at a bend or turn, will a of the general formv illustrated in Fig. 2 the deepest part of th 'tream being adj acen Serial No. 600,446.

to the outside bank, while the bed at the inner side of the bend or turn is more or less sloped or inclined, being built up, to a considerable extent at least, by sand and silt deposited by the action of the current.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a vessel 5 carrying one or more vertical agitators 6 adapted to be rotated by gearing 7 so as to produce eddy currents traveling downwardly against the inclined portion of thebed of the stream. The vessel 5 preferably travels over the inclined bed in paths tangent to the curve of the stream as indicated by the dotted lines 8 in Fig. 1, on which the broken line 9 indicates the deepest portion of the channel. The material loosened by the action of the agitation currents is carried laterally and downwardly by the combined action of gravity and the current into the deepest part of the channel. This filling of the channel bed prevents cutting of the outer bank and the consequent further change of the position of the bed of the stream, by decreasing the speed of the current in contact with the banks.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The method'of controlling a stream which comprises agitating the water of the stream above a transversely inclined portion of the bed, whereby the material of the bed loosened by the agitation currents may move downwardly and laterally to a deeper portion of the stream adjacent to a bank thereof. p

2. The method of controlling streams which comprises agitating the water of the stream above a transversely inclined portion of the bed by currents directed downwardly against the bed, whereby the material of the bed is moved downwardly and laterally to a deeper portion of the stream adjacent to a bank thereof.

3. The method of controlling the channel of a stream which comprises agitating the water of the stream above an inclined portion of the bed at a bend by agitating means traveling over said bed, whereby the material of the bed is loosened to be carried downwardly and laterally to a deeper porion of the channel.

4:. The method of changing the position of the main channel of a stream which comprises agitating the water of the stream above an inclined portion of the bed at a bend in the stream by agitating means traveling vover said bed in a direction substantially tangent to the curve of said bend, whereby the material of the bed is loosened to be carried downwardly and laterally bv current and gravity to a deeper nortion of the exlstmg channel.

JACOB A. SCHMUTTE. 

